Colorado § 12-155-103 - Definitions.

§ 12-155-103. Definitions.

As used in this article 155, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Board" means the state plumbing board created in section 12-155-104.

(1.2) "Colorado fuel gas code" means a code adopted by rule of the board for the inspection of plumbing fuel gas pipe installations.

(1.4) "Colorado plumbing code" or "the code" means a code established by the board that consists of standards for plumbing installation, plumbing materials, conservation, medical gas, sanitary drainage systems, and solar plumbing that could directly affect the potable water supply.

(1.6) (a) "Conservation" means efficiency measures that meet national guidelines and standards and are tested and approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, including:

(I) Water-efficient devices and fixtures; and

(II) The use of locally produced materials, when practicable, to reduce transportation impacts.

(b) When conservation conflicts with safety, the board shall give primary consideration to safety.

(c) Nothing in this subsection (1.6) affects the board's authority to establish the Colorado plumbing code as specified in section 12-155-106.

(2) "Gas piping" means any arrangement of piping used to convey fuel gas, supplied by one meter, and each arrangement of gas piping serving a building, structure, or premises, whether individually metered or not. "Gas piping" or "gas piping system" does not include the installation of gas appliances where existing service connections are already installed, nor does the term include the installations, alterations, or maintenance of gas utilities owned by a public utility certified pursuant to article 5 of title 40 or a public utility owned or acquired by a city or town pursuant to article 32 of title 31.

(3) "Journeyworker plumber" means any person, other than a master plumber, residential plumber, or plumbing apprentice, who engages in or works at the actual installation, alteration, repair, and renovation of plumbing in accordance with the standards and rules established by the board.

(4) "Master plumber" means a person who has the necessary qualifications, training, experience, and technical knowledge to properly plan, lay out, and install and repair plumbing apparatus and equipment including the supervision of such in accordance with the standards and rules established by the board.

(5) to (7) Repealed.

(8) (a) "Plumbing" includes the following items located within the building or extending five feet from the building foundation, excluding any service line extending from the first joint to the property line: All potable water supply and distribution pipes and piping; all plumbing fixtures and traps; all drainage and vent pipes; all water conditioning appliances connected to the potable water system; all building drains, including their respective joints and connections, devices, receptacles, and appurtenances; all multipurpose residential fire sprinkler systems in one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses that are part of the potable water supply; and all medical gas and vacuum systems in health-care facilities.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (8)(a) of this section, the following is not included within the definition of "plumbing":

(I) Installations, extensions, improvements, remodeling, additions, and alterations in water and sewer systems owned or acquired by counties pursuant to article 20 of title 30, cities and towns pursuant to article 35 of title 31, or water and sanitation districts pursuant to article 1 or article 4 of title 32; or

(II) Installations, extensions, improvements, remodeling, additions, and alterations performed by contractors employed by counties, cities, towns, or water and sewer districts that connect to the plumbing system within a property line; or

(III) Performance, location, construction, alteration, installation, and use of on-site wastewater treatment systems pursuant to article 10 of title 25 that are located within a property line.

(9) "Plumbing apprentice" means any person, other than a master, journeyworker, or residential plumber, who, as the person's principal occupation, is engaged in learning and assisting in the installation of plumbing.

(10) "Plumbing contractor" means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, association, or other organization that undertakes or offers to undertake for another the planning, laying out, supervising, installing, or making of additions, alterations, and repairs in the installation of plumbing. In order to act as a plumbing contractor, the person, firm, partnership, corporation, association, or other organization must either be or employ a full-time master plumber. "Plumbing contractor" does not include a water conditioning contractor, a water conditioning installer, or a water conditioning principal.

(11) "Potable water" means water that is safe for drinking, culinary, and domestic purposes and that meets the requirements of the department of public health and environment.

(12) "Qualified state institution of higher education" means:

(a) One of the state institutions of higher education established under, specified in, and located upon the campuses described in sections 23-20-101 (1)(a) and (1)(d) and 23-31-101, limited to the buildings owned or leased by those institutions on those campuses; and

(b) The institution whose campus is established under and specified in section 23-20-101 (1)(b); except that, for buildings located within the grounds of the Auraria higher education center created in article 70 of title 23, "qualified state institution of higher education" means only those buildings that are constructed or wholly renovated from money held by the university of Colorado at Denver and that are currently owned, operated, and maintained by the university of Colorado at Denver, including the buildings located in Denver at 1191 Larimer street, 1201 Larimer street, and 1355 Twelfth street.

(13) "Residential plumber" means any person, other than a master or journeyworker plumber or plumbing apprentice, who has the necessary qualifications, training, experience, and technical knowledge, as specified by the board, to install plumbing and equipment in one-, two-, three-, and four-family dwellings, which dwellings must not extend more than two stories aboveground.

(13.5) "Tiny home" has the meaning set forth in section 24-32-3302 (35).

(14) (a) "Water conditioning contractor" means a person that is not a plumbing contractor and that:

(I) Undertakes or offers to undertake for another the planning, laying out, supervising, installing, or making of additions, alterations, or repairs in the installation of water conditioning appliances in one-, two-, three-, or four-family dwellings, which dwellings must not extend more than two stories aboveground; and

(II) Is required to be registered pursuant to section 12-155-108 (4).

(b) Repealed.

(15) (a) "Water conditioning installer" means a person that is not a licensed plumber and that:

(I) Has the necessary qualifications, training, experience, and technical knowledge to properly plan, lay out, and install water conditioning appliances in one-, two-, three-, and four-family dwellings, which dwellings must not extend more than two stories aboveground, in accordance with the standards and rules established by the board;

(II) Is certified by a national water conditioning association recognized by the board, with the type of certification specified by the board; and

(III) Is required to be registered pursuant to section 12-155-108 (5).

(b) Repealed.

(16) (a) "Water conditioning principal" means a person that is not a licensed plumber and that:

(I) Has the necessary qualifications, training, experience, and technical knowledge to properly plan, lay out, and install water conditioning appliances in one-, two-, three-, and four-family dwellings, which dwellings must not extend more than two stories aboveground, including the supervision of the work in accordance with the standards and rules established by the board;

(II) Is certified by a national water conditioning association recognized by the board, with the type of certification specified by the board; and

(III) Is required to be registered pursuant to section 12-155-108 (6).

(b) Repealed.

Source: L. 2019: Entire title R&RE with relocations, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 987, § 1, effective October 1. L. 2022: (13.5) added, (HB 22-1242), ch. 172, p. 1137, § 29, effective August 10. L. 2024: (3), (9), (13), IP(14)(a), IP(15)(a), and IP(16)(a) amended and (14)(b), (15)(b), and (16)(b) repealed, (HB 24-1344), ch. 343, p. 2320, § 1, effective July 1; (3), (9), and (13) amended, (HB 24-1344), ch. 343, p. 2321, § 2, effective July 1, 2025. L. 2025: (1.2), (1.4), and (1.6) added with relocations and (5), (6), and (7) repealed, (HB 25-1306), ch. 204, pp. 925, 926, §§ 1, 2, effective August 6. L. 2026: (12) amended, (SB 26-078), ch. 144, p. 808, § 3, effective May 26.

Editor's note: (1) This section is similar to former § 12-58-102 as it existed prior to 2019.

(2) Amendments to subsections (3), (9), and (13) by sections 1 and 2 of HB 24-1344 were harmonized, effective July 1, 2025.

(3) Subsections (1.2), (1.4), and (1.6) are similar to former subsections (6), (5), and (7), respectively, as they existed prior to 2025.